LHC seeks replies on child's plea for right to clean atmosphere

Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Jawad Hassan has sought replies from the authorities concerned on a three-year-old girl's plea against the worst smog conditions.

The petitioner sought protection of her fundamental right to clean atmosphere, ban on vehicles emitting pollution, regulation to safeguard environmental standards and a mechanism for regular testing.

Petitioner Amal Sukhera, through Mehek Zafar, filed the plea submitted by Barrister Ali Zafar and other lawyers, requesting the court to direct the Environmental Protection Agency to appoint authorised officers to inspect, monitor and enforce the related rules.

She prayed the court to devise and implement a comprehensive plan to mitigate air pollution, including the introduction of emission control technologies, maintenance protocols for vehicles and public awareness campaigns, in order to reduce vehicular emissions and protect public health.

The petition contended that the petitioner seeks enforcement of her fundamental right to a clean health environment as enshrined under Article 9A of the Constitution through the implementation of Section 15 of the Punjab Environmental Protection Act 1997 and Environmental Protection (Motor Vehicle) Rules 2013.

The non-enforcement of the provisions permit the release of hazardous vehicular emissions into the atmosphere, contributing significantly to air pollution and smog, which is having a devastating effect on public health, the petition contended.

The petitioner stated that the petition is in the interest of her class fellows, friends and her generation generally as well as future generations, all of whom are irreversibility affected by the adverse impacts of air pollution.

She also brought the petition on behalf of older generations, notwithstanding the fact that their actions, omissions, and negligence have contributed to the present environmental catastrophe.

As per the petition, the air quality life index report for Pakistan indicates that air pollution has led to a significant decrease in life expectancy, particularly in Punjab, where it is estimated to reduce life expectancy by 5.5 years.

Currently, the average life expectancy in Pakistan is around 67 years.